"You're a ninja, not a magician," she
snapped back as she closed her book and stood up. "What are you doing here
anyway?"

"I came to give you your gift," he
answered before handing her an envelope.

With evident impatience, Sakura tore it open
and retrieve the gift certificate hidden inside. As she read the name on it,
she frowned, lips parting as if to say something but instead she remained mute
in surprise.

After a few seconds, she looked back up at
Kakashi and growled, "Ichiraku's? Really?"

"I thought I'd spare you from having to
open your wallet whenever Naruto pushes you into treating him," he
replied, grinning behind his mask.

The next morning, it was as if Kakashi had forgotten everything about
their little sentimental moment. He was back to being silent, ignoring her as
they made their way to the port city. The sound of their feet landing on
branches as they leapt from one to the next was the only noise that filled the
air. Even the weather had taken to Kakashi's mood, it seemed. Clouds had
littered the sky, blocking out most of the sunlight and forcing the duo to take
an impromptu shower. At the least, Sakura could be grateful that it was very
light and the air warm enough for this time of the year.

For a
second, Sakura wanted to laugh. She was chewing on her thumb nail, eyes roaming
the landscape for anything interesting and nerves rubbed raw from the lack of
dialogue. The behavior had been unconscious and now that she noticed it, it
reminded her of her genin years. Silence might as well have meant death to her
back then. Perharps it made her feel lonely. When your teammates didn't respond
to your calls, why not assume that they had been killed? Such memories were as
frightening right then as they had been while she lived them.

"Kakashi-senpai,"
Sakura called, desperate for a distraction even if she felt childish for it.

"What
is it?" he replied, voice dry and firm.

"Are
you going to ignore me all day?" she asked as she sped up to catch up to
him, tired of seeing only his back.

"You're
usually fine with the silence, Sakura-chan," he answered casually,
shrugging his shoulders.

Sakura-chan,
he had just called her. She grit her teeth, barely containing her temper. He
was mocking her. The affectionate suffix was only to lull her in a fake sense
of safety, to make her believe things were okay and mask his anger. The Copy
Nin always avoided confrontation if he couldn't predict his opponent's moves.

"I
don't mind silence, Kakashi-kun," she answered, all too satisfied when his
head whipped around to glare at her. "Being ignored, on the other
hand..."

"I'm
not ignoring you," he retorted, increasing his pace.

"You're
usually a better liar," she scoffed as she ran faster, matching his pace
with no trouble.

Kakashi
gave her no answer. Instead, he rushed ahead of her. Hiding none of her
frustration, Sakura growled as she sped up as well. As soon as she appeared by
his side, he increased the speed again.

The game
went on for several minutes. Every time she caught up to him, he would outrun
her again. When he heard a branch snap behind him, Kakashi didn't need to look
back to know that Sakura wasn't messing around anymore. He broke into a full
sprint, using the speed he was known for to put a good distance between them
after he had jumped down to the ground.

Sakura
smirked, barely believing what he had just done. She followed him, leaving a
small crater where she had landed. Even he couldn't match her chakra control.
She had the advtange here. Each of her steps shattered the ground beneath her
feet as she increased her speed, using her chakra to propel her.

When Sakura
arrived at his side, she couldn't help but grin at his expression. His eye had
widened, then narrowed, a prominent frown on his usually neutral features. Even
if they had been on numerous missions together, she hadn't shown him all of her
tricks just yet. Surprise was a ninja's best tool, after all.

They kept
going for a little while, until Sakura grew tired of their silly competition
and leapt ahead of him to block his path. At this speed, even after digging his
heels into the ground, he couldn't stop in time. Sakura caught his shoulders
easily, preventing him from crashing into her. She had to lean forward as the
force made him stumble backwards, but he regained his footing quick enough and
brushed her hands away.

"I
remember a time where my team would lag behind me," Kakashi said, mood
turning sour again, though Sakura could tell there was a hint of playfulness
behind it.

"That
was a long, long time ago," she teased as she let go of him and leaned her
hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

After
taking a sip from his canteen, Kakashi handed it to her. Sakura took it gladly.

With all of
this, they were practically at the edge of the city they were headed to. Their
argument had distracted her enough to forget what their goal was and left her
surprised to see how much ground they had covered in their race. Kakashi had
probably coaxed her into it on purpose, so that they would reach it quicker and
he could hide from her somewhere in the city until their ship departed. The
knowlege irritated her, but she tried to ignore it.

The
apartment they were provided for their stay in Warabi was not shabby, to say
the least. While it wasn't incredibly large, it was just about as roomy as her
own, which was impressive considering that this was a densely populated city.
The only downside was the single bedroom. Not that it bothered Sakura much. It
was an unnecessary convenience that would only put an additional strain on
their mission budget. They were already lucky enough to have a double bed.

Sakura was
relieved that this mission didn't require henges or anything of the sort. With
ninjas practically unheard of in this part of the world, they had nothing to
hide. Disguising her appearance was no challenge to Sakura but it was still a
waste of chakra. She had learned from the best, after all. She would make sure
to thank Tsunade when she was in her fifties.

Laying in
bed, Sakura opened her eyes again. Sleep eluded her. Kakashi was snoring softly
at her side, hogging most of the blanket. The noise coming from the cars
outside didn't seem to affect him. Sakura, on her side, vowed to never move to
Warabi. The constant activity would drive her crazy, if the lack of sleep
didn't do it first. Sakura rolled on her side to watch her partner, eyes
narrowed and willing him to wake up so she didn't have to be envious of him.

Unfortunately,
her eyes possessed no magical powers and Kakashi continued to sleep soundly.

This image of him was burned into her mind,
after having been privy to it so many times. Even back when she was a genin and
they were staying in an inn for the night, she was paired up with Kakashi while
the other two shared another bedroom. Every time, he had slept with his back to
her. Whether it was to make her feel comfortable or because it was his
preferred sleeping position, she couldn't tell. When she was twelve, the bed
sharing had made her uneasy, but Kakashi quickly earned her trust, both on the
field and out of it.

Sakura
trusted nobody else like she trusted Kakashi.

Hesitantly,
she raised a hand to brush her fingers against his uncovered shoulder. The
warmth of his skin calmed her, somewhat. He was there. She just needed to make
sure he wouldn't go away. Sakura pulled her hand away from him reluctantly,
knowing that if she touched him any more he would wake up. She would probably
be creeped out if he touched her in her sleep, anyway.

As Sakura
chewed her rice, she scrunched her nose at the foul smell coming from Kakashi's
breakfast. She appreciated that he had gotten up earlier to go fetch them
breakfast, but hated him for buying natto. While it was true that the food was
very healthy, nothing else tasted and smelled more horrible. She could never
get used to it. But of course, Kakashi was just fine with it.

"You
should have some," he suggested mechanically after swallowing.

"No
thanks. I think it'll make me sick," she replied nonchalantly before
taking a sip of her miso soup.

"You'd
think a medic would know better," he scolded as took another bite, face
conveniently hidden by his book.

"I'm
not a nutrionist," Sakura retorted, trying to focus on her cup of tea
instead of Kakashi's ramblings. "So how do we go about this mission?"

"Why
are you leaving me out of this mission?" she ground out, standing in front
of him with her hands on her hips.

"Don't
you think it's simple enough for me to handle by myself?" he explained as
he turned a page in his book, never bothering to look at her.

"Why
even--" she stopped herself before she asked why she should be on this
assignment then, realizing that was just what he wanted her to say. "I
refuse to get paid for doing nothing."

"I'm
sure the Hokage will be very grateful to know that you've worked for free
then," he replied, tone so even she might have believed he was serious if
she didn't know any better.

"Is
that so, Kakashi-kun?" she snapped, the suffix still feeling foreign on
her tongue. She had never disrespected him so openly before this assignment.

Before he
could reply, she had climbed on the coffee table and wrapped her fingers around
the light bulb inside the ceiling lamp. The heat of it burned her skin, but she
didn't care.

"Then
I'm sure you won't mind if I make myself comfortable,"
Sakura muttered as she crushed the only source of light in the living room.

"Sakura!"
he scolded as he jumped to his feet. "You're going to hurt your--"

"Do
you think so?" she gasped, feigning surprise, as she jumped down and
jogged to the kitchen. "Let's see. I'll try again."

Kakashifollowed her in the kitchen, most likely to
stop her from destroying every light bulb in the apartment, but he was too
late.

He lunged
at her to catch her before she entered the bedroom, but she grabbed a chair as
she ran to the door and shoved it at him, keeping herself out of his reach
thanks to it.

"I'm
still fine. I wonder why!" Sakura exclaimed in mock confusion as she
jumped on the bed and reached for the last light. "I wonder if three's the
charm?"

Just as she
grabbed it, Kakashitackled her, shoving
her into the wall. He growled as he heard the crunch of glass breaking that
meant he didn't stop her in time.

"What
the hell are you doing?" he rasped, keeping her pinned to the wall with
his body.

"I
have a headache," she cooed. "Lights hurt my eyes."

"And
you couldn't turn them off?" he sighed as he took her hand to inspect it.

"You
think I can punch through a concrete wall safely but not crush a thin piece of
glass?" she sneered.

"Why
did you do that?" he asked, finally backing away from her.

"Not
telling!" she sing-songed as she walked over to the window.

She closed
the curtains, plunging the room in darkness. It was the only window in the
whole apartment. While it did provide some light, it wasn't much. Most of it
was blocked by the adjacent building.

"You're
being ridiculous," Kakashi ground out as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Only
as much as you, Kakashi-sensei," she teased, taunting him with the old
title.

"Stop
it," he ordered.

"Tell
me why you joined the ANBU, then," she demanded as she sat next to him,
bumping against his thigh as she lowered herself due to the lack of visibility.

Kakashi put
a hand on her naked thigh, startling her for a second before she realized he was
only pushing it away so that a respectable distance seperated them. For a
second, she felt a little exposed in her tiny shorts and tank top. These were
her usual pajamas and Kakashi had seen her in them a hundred times; but as the
spot of skin he touched felt cold without the warmth of his hand, she doubted
its decency.

"That's
enough!" he barked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "What is your problem? How can you leave your
team of genin back?"

The
intensity of his voice shocked her, made her unable to respond.

"Don't
you think they need their sensei?" he added vehemently.

Sakura
simply blinked for a second, before she narrowed her eyes and scoffed.
"What team of genin?"

"Stop
playing stupid!" he growled, slamming a hand on the mattress behind her back.

He was
close enough for her to feel his breath on her shoulder. Her eyes had adjusted
to the darkness and she could see that his eye was narrowed, fixed on her own
and demanding that she be serious.

Yet, Sakura
only let out a weak laugh.

"Kakashi-senpai..."
she sighed. "My students are chuunin. They don't need me around to babysit
them anymore."

His eye
widened and he pulled away from her, any anger that had been radiating off him
dissipating immediately.

"You
left before the end of the exams," she mumbled, staring down at her toes.
"I didn't send you an invitation for their promotion party because I knew
you wouldn't come."

Today, she could be proud. Her genin students
were taking their first chuunin exam, and she was convinced that they would
succeed. She had groomed them well in the past year and a half. There was no
reason for them to fail. They'd receive a violent ass-kicking if they did, and
they knew it.

"A
week later, you were in the hospital." She shuddered at the memory.
"I didn't think of telling you after that."

Kakashi
remained silent, looking at the wall opposite from her.

"Did
you really think they would fail?" she breathed out, unable to keep her
disappointment from showing through her voice. "I would never recommend
them if I thought that they couldn't succeed."

"It's
still hard for me to see you as a teacher," Kakashi muttered as he ran a
hand through his hair. "I still remember your jonin promotion like it was
yesterday. Time flies."

"I
guess," she whispered.

Sakura
leaned back until she was lying down on the mattress, staring up at the
ceiling. The darkness wasn't as comforting anymore. In truth, she had smashed
the lights to prevent him from reading his silly books. But now, the lack of
light unnerved her.

"What
made you join ANBU?" Kakashi asked again.

The
mattress dipped towards her, most likely meaning that Kakashi was leaning her
way so he could watch her.

"I
told you already," she mumbled, throwing an arm over her eyes.

"Sakura..."
he called softly, his own version of pleading. As far as she knew, she was the
only one to have heard it. "Tell me why exactly."

Maybe it
was because of the gentleness of his tone, but Sakura couldn't find it in her
to get angry at him again.

"I'm
worried for you, Kakashi-senpai," she answered truthfully, desperately
trying to ignore the erratic pace her heart had picked up all of a sudden.
"I don't want to lose you. I can't."

Sakura
laughed bitterly. Kakashi was usually such a good liar. How could he not realize
that how he had just addressed her gave away how empty his words were?

"What?"
He asked, clearly confused.

He lowered
his body next to hers, propping himself up on one arm so he could face her.
Sakura turned her head to look at him, a sad smile adorning her lips.

"You
used to be a good liar, Kakashi-kun," she teased. "Entertain me. What
was your reason?"

"I was
bored because of the peace," he answeredevenly. "I wanted to put my skills to good use."

"Please,"
Sakura begged, reaching up to grasp his side. "Tell me the truth. I want
to be there for you."

"There's
nothing wrong with me, Sakura-chan," he whispered stubbornly as he lowered
himself to hover above her, one arm leaning on the mattress at her side.

Sakura
swallowed the lump in her throat as she felt his breath fan out on her cheek.
His face was several inches away from hers, yet it was plenty to change the
atmosphere in the room to something entirely different.

"Kakashi-senpai,"
she breathed out, any other words vanishing from her mind.

What she
wanted to say was a mystery to her. Their eyes locked, and it was all that she
was aware of. He smelled nice, she noted after a second. She couldn't pinpoint
what the scent was. It was Kakashi, very simply. Warmth emanated from his arm
and reached her side, reminding her of how close they were; of how the hand she
had placed on his side had snaked up to his back while she was distracted.

Unconsciously,
she raised a leg to plant her foot on the bed, allowing their thighs to brush
together for a moment. Kakashi's eye was still glued to her own, shining
faintly in the darkness. The expression in it was foreign to her: a mix between
serious, soft and demanding. His breathing seemed to have quickened just like
her own; it hit her cheek more often, warming the skin a little more every
time.

The fingers
of the hand that lay next to her shoulder brushed it, almost teasing -- maybe
even testing, she would guess. Sakura remained still, unable to tear her eyes
away from Kakashi's. Her free hand travelled up to splay on his chest. The
movement was in no way fluid. Her hand hesitated, jerking every now and then as
if he would berate her for touching him, but all insecurity was lost as it
reached his shirt.

Kakashi
touched her shoulder again, rubbing circles into with the pads of his fingers.
Breathing was becoming hard. The heat that radiated from his body to hers was
stifling her.

The next
thing she knew, his masked lips were against hers, kissing her tentatively. She
heard a moan, registering only a minute later that it was hers. It must have
spurred Kakashi on, because he had pulled his mask down and his lips came
crashing down against her own. She responded to his kiss easily, going through
the motions absent-mindedly. His lips were soft, pressing against hers firmly
and sending shivers down her spine. Her lips parted as she breathed out another
small moan.

Somewhere
in all of this, he had climbed on top of her and settled between her legs. She
felt his tongue trace her lips, leaving a thin trail of saliva that quickly
become cold and motivated her to place a hand to the back of his head to pull
him back down so their lips would meet again. He removed one of the hands that
were placed on the sides of her head to cup her cheek, pressing his thumb into
it. Groaning at the slight discomfort, Sakura opened her mouth to complain, but
was quickly silenced when his tongue rubbed against her own.

Sakura
moaned in the kiss and raised her legs to wrap them around his hips, forcing
his body closer to hers. With the next stroke of his tongue, she became all too
aware of the throbbing in her crotch. Her heart was pumping madly, as if protesting
his slow pace. Her hands both returned to his back, hooking under his arms so
she could pull his torso closer as well. She needed to feel him.

When his
whole body was pressed flush against hers, Kakashi deepened the kiss. Her legs
tightened around his hips, quivering weakly.

Kakashi
broke away, panting for breath. Sakura's eyes slid open to look up at him. He
still had his hitai-ate on. She tugged it away from his head, impatience
certainly making her movement a little rough. He hissed as she removed it. A
strand of hair had been caught in it.

"Sorry,"
Sakura mumbled before she leaned in for another kiss.

"It's
okay," he muttered against her lips as he pushed his arms under her,
imitating the way she was holding him.

He didn't
linger on her lips much longer. Instead, he moved lower to plant hot kisses on
her neck. Sakura gasped at the sudden jolt of electricity that was sent down to
her groin. The heat around them became stifling again. Her hands fisted in his
hair as he continued placing open-mouthed kisses on her neck, amplifying the
delicious throbbing between her legs with each of them.

"T-Too
hot," Sakura breathed out, unable to take it anymore.

Kakashi
pulled away from her to sit on his heels. She whimpered at the loss and tugged
at his pants to encourage him to come back.

"Don't
worry, it'll just be a second," he chuckled.

His
handsslipped under her tank top and
rode up slowly, rolling the shirt up her ribs. Sakura's back arched as
goosebumps erupted all over her torso and the prickling sensation that followed
his hands continued higher to focus on her nipples. As if reading her thoughts,
Kakashi raised his hands higher and ghosted his fingers over her breasts,
rubbing against her sensitive nipples along the way. Sakura groaned, eyes
shutting as a jolt of electricity ran through her nipples before travelling
down to her crotch.

"Kakashi-senpai,"
she whimpered, grasping his arms.

She needed more.

Kakashi
pulled the shirt off of her, probably catching her impatience in her tone. He
grabbed her legs next, guiding them up and leaning her calves against his
shoulder before her tugged at her shorts and panties. Sakura couldn't help but
squeeze her thighs together and moan when she managed to apply some pressure to
her clit, allowing her a little reflief from the ache. Once the last of her
clothes were removed, he replaced her legs at his sides.

He slid his
hands up her shins, then her thighs all the way up to their apex before
retreating back a little to knead them. Sakura gasped and her hips jerked,
desperate to get closer to Kakashi and make him focus on something more
interesting.

It wasn't
long before her wish was granted. One of his hands went up to rest just above
her sex while the other remained between her thighs, close enough for its
warmth to make her squirm with need. He slid a finger between her lips and
Sakura gasped again, raising her hips off the bed. She was wet and more than
ready.

Yet, he
still decided to wait a little more before moving on to the main event. The
thumb of the hand on her stomach pressed against her clit and rubbed small
circles in it. Sakura moaned loudly, tightening the hold she had on him with her
shaky legs. Her breath came in ragged pants and her hands fisted in the sheets
at her side. The pulsing in her clit became stronger and her whole body felt
oversensitive. Waves of pleasures travelled down to her crotch, only to rise
back up and end in her breasts.

"K-Kakashi-senpai!"
she cried out, shutting her eyes to maintain a semblance of control.

She was so
close.

Her muscles
tightened, making her whole body stiff. Kakashi seemed to pay it little
attention. His thumb kept up the same pace and pressure, still rubbing lazy
circles on her clit.

Then his
hands were gone. Sakura's head shot up to find out why. When she saw his hands
working to lower his pants, a groan left her throat and her head fell back. Now
that his fingers didn't keep her busy, she was aching to have him inside of
her. To feel his warmth, the sensation of being stretched and--

He rubbed
the head of his shaft against her her folds, making her moan uncontrollably.
Her hips jerked again, desperately trying to align with his erection so he
could enter her. As he thrust inside of her, so slowly Sakura was certain it
could qualify as torture, he grunted. The noise made her clench around him,
turning her on even further.

Kakashi
collapsed on top of her, gasping as his hips jerked forward and he sunk into
her fully. Immediately, Sakura cried out and her legs locked around him to
prevent him from pulling away. He remained still for a moment, probably giving
her time to adjust. It wasn't unwelcome. He filled her just perfectly. She
could even feel that he was quite large, from the way he stretched her.

"Please,"
she begged when he stayed still too long.

Needing no
more encouragement, he started rocking his hips, pumping in and out of her in a
moderate pace that made her see stars. She curled up against him, hugging him
to her as tightly as she could as her whole body stiffened again, reminding her
of how close she was to her climax.

She cried
out when he sped up, now entering from just the right angle due to the slight
change in position. Every time he thrusted inside of her, he rubbed against
this sensitive spot on her upper wall, sending pleasurable waves through her
entire body.

"Kakashi-senpai!"
she moaned, unable to close her mouth as another series of moan wracked her
body. "I-I'm gonna...!"

Just as the
words left her mouth, her climax rocked her body. Her legs shook around him and
a strained scream escaped her throat. She heard Kakashi groan, although it
didn't quite register in in her mind, before his pace became erratic and
uneven.

"Sa...
Sakura!" he grunted as he gave the final thrust and spilt his seed inside
of her.

Even if
Sakura could see the room spinning behind him, she still felt the warmth of his
release and groaned weakly in reply, too drained to react more to the tingling
sensation it brought.

Kakashi
collapsed at her side, panting as he tried to regain his breath. Sakura only
felt incredibly relaxed. Her limbs had turned to mush and her breathing came in
slow, deep intakes. Even if she could feel exhaustion settling in her muscles,
every part of her felt warm and light.

Before she
knew it, her eyes had slid closed and her consciousness slipped away as asleep
claimed her.

"Just a
second," Sakura called as she forced herself back to her feet. "I'm
almost there!"

Ignoring
the protests of her tired muscles, she ran towards him. She had to get him to
him, she couldn't leave him be.

The closer
she got, the more branches whipped at her face. Sakura growled in frustration
as she pushed them away, wondering where they even came from in the first
place. She could see several feet ahead of her, yet couldn't see them before
they slapped her.

The
silhouette desintegrated before her eyes. They widened in shock, her efforts to
free herself renewing but futile nontheless. Sakura screamed in agony when the
last of him was gone, leaving her to lay on the ground now that her restraints
had dissipated. His disappearance caused an overwhelming sense of despair to
wash over her. Defeated and broken, she cried into the night, howling her pain
without shame.

"No!"
Sakura gasped as her hand shot out to grab his arm, gripping it to prevent him
from leaving.

"It's
me," he let out, sounding surprised.

Finally
back to her senses, Sakura could see it was Kakashi that touched and talked to
her.

"K-Kakashi
-senpai?"

"You
seemed to be having a nightmare," he explained as he pulled away.

"I
was," she said, nodding.

As she sat
up and the blanket fell from her body, Sakura realized she was naked. The cold
air in the apartment on her skin was a good reminder of it. Slightly
embarrassed, she pulled the covers back to her chest.

"I
thought you would be awake by the time I came back," Kakashi mused as he
stood from the bed, giving her a little privacy.

"You
were gone?" she asked, brows knitting together. Memories of the morning
were resurfacing in her mind, making her cheeks burn. "Where did you
go?"

"I had
a letter to send to an acquaintance," he explained quietly.

Sakura had
no idea what to do or how to react. She was naked. Naked. She had slept with Kakashi.

"Maybe
you should get dressed?"

"Oh,
yes," she mumbled, reaching for her clothes at the foot of the bed
clumsily. "Of course."

When she
was done, she sat back on the bed. He joined her, though he seemed to avoid
looking at her.

They
remained silent for a little while. He had opened the curtains while she slept,
allowing for a dull light to enter through the window. It felt gloomy, to
Sakura's tastes, but she was glad to be able to see more than three inches
ahead of her. The sound of those horrible cars was almost soothing to her ears
at this point. The tension and silence in the room were heavy on her shoulders.

Sakura
looked at him, observing his masked face as she weighed her words. She didn't
know why, maybe because of the insecurity she thought she had caught in his
eye, but an image of the dark figure from her dream flashed in her mind.

"No,"
she blurted out, uncertain of why she had even answered that when the word left
her mouth.

Kakashi
simply nodded.

"Are
you?" she asked, tangling the fingers of one hand in her hair to hide her
anxiety.

What had
possessed her? Why had she slept with him?

"It
was good," he replied casually.

Sakura
swallowed the saliva that suddenly gathered in her mouth. That, he was right
about.

"How
long did I sleep?" she asked as she stood up, stretching her stiff limbs.

"About
three hours," he answered before heading out of the bedroom.

It seemed
like they wouldn't be speaking much about this. Not that she minded, of course.

She must
have slept even less than she had first thought, Sakura thought to herself, if
she had slept that much. Or her orgasm had just been that relaxing.

"Shut
up," Sakura muttered to herself, deciding that this wasn't the direction she
wanted her thoughts to take.

She hurried
into the living room, which was now lit by a new lightbulb, and headed straight
for the bathroom that connected to it.

Sakura
sighed contently as the hot water slid down her body, absorbing the tension in
her muscles. Showers were always soothing. As she ran her fingers through it,
she examined her hair. It reached her the top of her breasts now, though the
bangs framing her face were just a few inches past her chin. She had decided to
grow it out again last year, but it was due for a trim now. Too many split
ends.

She closed
her eyes and placed her face under the spray, enjoying it for a moment as her
mind wandered. Her dream replayed behind her closed eyes, making her relive
every agonizing second of it.

While
Sakura had never been one to believe that dreams had significant meanings,
except maybe in her childhood, she was certain that there was something to be
understood from this one. Who was the silhouette she had seen? Why had his
voice sounded so familiar?

The dream
had been so strange. His voice had compelled her to rush to him, to do anything
in her power to help him. Sakura wasn't cruel; she would help someone in distress
if the situation allowed it. But the man didn't appear to be in any danger. In
fact, hadn't he been the one keeping her away from him with those roots that
grew out of his body?

Sakura
growled, wishing she could just forget it, but the mystery demanded to be
resolved.

The man had
even had a nickname for her. Missy miss. No one had ever called her that, as
far as she could rememer. It sounded ridiculous. He even added it to every
sentence.

Scoffing,
Sakura reached for the bar of soap and started rubbing it over her chest,
trying to distract herself.

Her fingers
ran over the scar on her abdomen accidentally, making her pause.

The injury
wasn't the worst on her body anymore. Eight years of S-ranked missions didn't
leave a shinobi unscathed. It was the only scar, though. With her medic skills,
she had been able to avoid any other. She had been a prodigy with the medical
jutsu already at sixteen, but her level then was nothing compared to what it
was today, after all.

Kakashi
didn't even notice it, she told herself.

Groaning,
Sakura continued to wash herself. Decidedly, if it wasn't the strange dream
hogging her attention, it would be Kakashi. She was in for along day.

Kakashi continues to work alone on the mission,
avoiding Sakura in his free time. Frustrated even further by this, Sakura
confronts him and tensions rise once more. A little friendly fight between two
colleagues can't hurt, can it?